Understanding Weakness
by faelyn leaf
Summary: Post KotOR: Dustil reminds Revan of Carth, and, at times, she wonders why she keeps him. DSRevanxDSDustil


Dustil reminds Revan of Carth, and, at times, she wonders why she keeps him. She sees Carth's eyes and mouth when she looks at at him, and sometimes it's Carth's touch in bed. She has almost struck the boy down for this, but then she remembers that he is Dustil, not Carth, and her hand stays. Dustil would never betray her or the Republic like his father did. Dustil is loyal to her alone, and is her knight where Carth failed.

She has never been certain of exactly why she went looking for him, and she was almost as astonished as he was when she found him, on a small outpost somewhere between Telos and Dantooine. He hasn't left her side since. Dustil has become to mean more to her than any mere apprentice has before, and in return, the boy has devoted himself to her completely. She is more than his teacher and mentor – it was all too easy to give in to the boy's desires when he worships the ground she treads upon.

She has found out many things about him, and he has answered every question she asks of him. He is virtually completely open to her, his master and lover. He is an expert on the tactics she used during the Mandalorian Wars, and he followed her career because he believed in her, the only Jedi who stood up to defend the Republic. He never criticized her more daring battle techniques; sacrificing worlds to distract from and protect small, but key areas. His entrance into the Korriban Academy had been a way to get closer to her, the 'genius behind the mask,' as he once called her. He understands her in a way that no one else has; he knows that she values the Republic above all else, and has never doubted her.

He remains silent on the subject of his father, however. This irritates Revan, for only by teaching him what she learnt from Carth can his education be complete. He will not bring the subject up, and Revan feels that he must not be ready. She knows she must calm herself and not strike out of frustration; he is her apprentice, not yet her equal. He is still learning. She still takes him to her bed, but whispers sweet reassurances in his ear while he sleeps. She hopes it helps. Revan needs him to be strong, and she cannot wait. The Republic needs them both.

She talks with him in depth about weaknesses, and tries to show him what he is oblivious to. Her own flaw was painfully easy to see, and that is why she freed herself of it. For Revan, there is a sense of poetry to it all, master and apprentice both love the same man -- the one vulnerability in their armour. Revan was able let go, but Dustil is still young and not truly able to understand the sacrifices he must make for perfection. If Dustil can rid himself of his own frailties, he will become a better warrior. He will be worthy to be her champion, to lead her forces when she must depart..

Revan knows the time for the boy's last lesson is at hand. Time is growing short and she can feel the Force gently nudging at her, urging her to leave for parts unknown. She is hesitant, for although she knows her actions to be always right, this last demand of hers will either make Dustil into a man, or break him. She waits until the soft tugs of the Force become hard pulls that threaten to tear her in asunder if she does not comply. It is only then that she leads Dustil to Corellia.

The boy is confused at first, but realisation and familiarity dawns on him once they get closer to their target. In a nondescript residential sector, Revan picks one house to go in over any other. It is here that her spies found the last of Carth's family; his sister and her children. They enter the house without trouble, for the Force lets Revan be inconspicuous when she wishes. This will be a dull task for her, but a painful one for her apprentice. The boy is still uncertain of his mission tonight, but if he is a true defender of the Republic, he will understand what he is meant to do. After all, the only thing Revan asks is that he purge himself of his weaknesses.

The woman, Revan cannot remember her name, does not put up a struggle or even plead with them against the slaying of her children. Again, Revan is haunted by Carth, but she pushes that aside. She is here for Dustil. As her apprentice holds a light sabre to his aunt's throat, Revan teaches. She tells the boy about her love for his father, and how she almost abandoned the Republic because of him. Carth had asked her to stay with him, to give up on saving the galaxy from the threat that lurked in the edges of her mind. Revan had wanted to say yes. She had almost given into her selfish desires and damned them all. That is why she had to kill him. Carth had been her one weakness, and she could not let him go until she conquered it.

Revan's only desire is that her apprentice learns from her own mistakes and can finally grow. The boy nods at her, but she can see the tears in his eyes, and Revan fights the sudden urge to brush them away. The master watches on dispassionately as the boy finally grows into his own man and slits the throat of his last remaining relative. The familial bonds – ties to his past – were his true weakness and he has severed the connection, and finally freed himself.

Revan smiles. He finally understands.


End file.
